A preliminary study of safety management practices on Pan-Borneo highway construction sites in Kuching, Malaysia

Abstract

Construction site safety is a vital issue in construction safety management. The causes of accidents in the construction industry, among others are due to individual behaviour, complicated work-site surroundings and inadequate safety supervision at the construction site. The case study, namely Pan-Borneo Highway (PBH), was initiated through the Economic Transformation Programme to transform Malaysia into a high-income nation. The PBH is an option travel mode highway alongside Borneo road linking the states of Sarawak and Sabah with Brunei. The iconic project started from Sematan, Sarawak to Tawau, Sabah. This paper aimed to evaluate the current safety management practices on PBH construction sites in Kuching, Sarawak, as well as to emphasise the significance of road construction safety supervision. Questionnaires were distributed to 30 respondents, and the survey responses were analysed using Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) software. The result suggested that the most important safety practices are the provision of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), followed by accident reporting and maintenance report and provision of safety policy. Proper safety management on the construction site can minimise accidents and protect all parties involved in the construction industry.